December 24
The snow glittered in the sun. Pia P’s latest Instagram post showed the Christmas tree in the dining room, silhouetted against
a blue sky outside the big windows. The next photos in the series were of the snowcapped tip of Heaven’s Horn, a candelabra
with lit candles, and the small exhibition in the foyer with pine branches and elves. The hashtags: #christmasjoy #christmasatglitterpeaklodge #merrychristmas . The post had already gotten almost five thousand likes.
“I called my mom and dad,” Pia told Ingrid when they were having a cup of tea together after breakfast.
“Today?”
“Yeah, earlier this morning. I told them everything.”
They’d spent hours in the Peer Gynt Suite last night, analyzing the drama that had unfolded in the library. Then Vegard—the little troublemaker—told them he’d invited Thor’s parents to Christmas dinner. Tonight! It was insane. But kind of nice, too. It wouldn’t be surprising if all the family talk had freed something in Pia, too.
“I’ve been thinking about it since the last time we spoke,” Pia said. “About how I should try to involve them. They’re crazy,
but they are my parents, after all.”
“How did they react?” Ingrid asked.
“You know what? They were so happy! I could hear my mom crying on the other end when I told her she was going to be a grandmother.
I thought it was despair at first and was about to hang up, but then she said she’d never been so thrilled.” Pia took a deep
breath. “Oh my God, I’m getting all emotional. But I can’t ruin my makeup now that I’m going to take Christmas pictures and
everything.”
She carefully dabbed a tissue at the corner of her eye.
“That’s great!” Ingrid said. “I’m so glad you got in touch.”
“Yes,” Pia said. “My mom wants to visit after the holidays. She started talking about a stroller and all sorts of things she
was going to buy. And even though I think it’ll be pretty stressful, I’m happy about it too.” She took a sip of tea. “You
know, at the beginning, I’d been envisioning this pregnancy completely differently. I was sure I’d be in total control and
that everything would be fine. But it’s been so incredibly hard. I’ve felt so alone. I even thought this might be the biggest
mistake of my life. And I definitely haven’t had the energy to go out and buy baby stuff.” She smiled. “Instead, I’ve been hiding up here in the mountains. So
it’ll be nice to get some help when I come back down. With a stroller and all that.”
“You’ll probably get a sponsored stroller just by telling people about this on Instagram.” Ingrid grinned. “But I get what
you mean.”
***
“We talked to Dad on Skype today!” Hussein beamed as he came into the dining room, his hands full of presents to put under
the tree. “He says he’ll come to Norway after Christmas!”
“Yes, we hope we can make it work,” Aisha said.
She turned to Ingrid and lowered her voice. “It’s so uncertain, all of this. I don’t dare go back there, but I don’t know
if we’ll get permanent residence here. I don’t want to tell Hussein about how unsure everything is. Right now, we’re just
going to enjoy the holiday season, and he can look forward to seeing his father again. Then we’ll take it from there.”
Ingrid took Aisha’s hand and squeezed it. “That’s a good place to start,” she said.
Then they went into the dining room for lunch. Risgr?t , of course. A Christmas Eve favorite.
Maja placed large tureens on the table but insisted on serving everyone. The rice porridge was piping hot, and Maja had been
stirring it for hours. She winked at Ingrid as she added a toasted almond to Hussein’s bowl.
“I got some very nice news today,” Vegard said once he’d tasted the porridge. “That is, I hope you’ll also think it’s nice.
Hanna—the musician, you know—and her boyfriend, PX, want to visit the hotel on New Year’s Eve. They were invited to some big
events, but they need to chill after a busy season. So they want to spend a couple of days up here. Maybe they’ll get a taste
for more and we’ll have a Hanna and the Hearts concert here in the summer!”
“ Hanna and PX?! ” Sunny shouted. “For New Year’s? Here? Okay, I changed my mind. I don’t want the night off anymore!”
Ingrid laughed. “You will take the night off!” she said. “But you’re more than welcome to come here as a guest.”
“That’s great news, Vegard!” Pia said. “I know Hanna. She’s a lot of fun. A real party girl—just like me, once upon a time.”
She laughed and patted her stomach.
“Your party days aren’t over yet,” said Freya. “Just you wait and see.” She put her hand over her husband’s and smiled. Then
she grew serious again.
“I have a few things I’d like to say,” she said. “I found so much more than I was looking for here at Glitter Peak. It’s going
to take more than a Christmas visit to digest all of this—and I don’t just mean the food.”
She cleared her throat.
“As you know, the past few days have been quite overwhelming for me,” Freya continued. “I must admit that I’m not quite sure
how to react to Uncle Hallgrim and my new cousins. What happened to my mother is painful to think about, and she herself chose to cut off contact with her
family here. But we’ll have to wait and see what happens. First and foremost, I’m grateful to have found the place my mother
came from and that she loved so much. And the person she loved.” She looked at Borghild, her eyes shining. “I hope to come back here to Glitter Peak many more times. I’ve already
thought about taking my Daughters of Norway lodge with me on a trip to Norway!”
Freya took a sip from her glass of juice. “But there’s one more thing. I understand if this comes as a surprise, but I’ve
managed to persuade this young lady”—she nodded at Sunny, who was about to pour more coffee—“to come to the US next year.
I think my contacts can provide her with some good job opportunities there.”
“In California?” Ingrid asked.
“Yes! A young woman with such drive and talent will do well there.”
Hmm, it’s a bit sudden , Ingrid thought—and she wasn’t sure whether the US was exactly the place she’d recommend for someone to move to in these
turbulent times. But the move also made sense. Sunny was made for the big world. She had to go out and stretch her wings.
“What an opportunity! Congratulations, Sunny. But you’re not quitting right away, are you?”
“No, I’m going to finish my studies first,” Sunny replied. “So I’d like to keep working here until the summer if I can. And
then I’ll hand in my thesis.”
“The one about toolboxes?” Alfred asked.
“Yes, that’s right, the one about toolboxes,” Sunny said with a smile.
“I got the almond!” Hussein shouted suddenly.
“No way, really? How lucky!” Maja said, taking a bag out from under her chair. “Then you’re the one who gets the prize!” She
pulled a large marzipan cat wrapped in cellophane out of the bag. “Real, homemade marzipan,” she proclaimed. “Inspired by
Mewsephina.”
“Meow,” Mewsephina said from under the table.
***
After lunch, Ingrid found an excuse to retreat to her apartment for a while. She took out her phone and stared at it for a
long time. Then she found Preben’s number.
She thought about the Himalaya project, about the new foundation they were about to establish. In many ways, it would be their attempt at atonement, but it was also so much more than that. It was about shouldering the burden. The challenges of climate change, erosion, poverty, and environmental degradation were so rampant that it was easy to feel powerless, but they weren’t going to give into powerlessness. She thought of Giovanni’s words: God doesn’t give us more than we can handle . She didn’t know about the God part, but she would handle what she could.
Then she thought of something Nana Borghild always used to say: “Joy shared is joy doubled. Sorrow shared is sorrow halved.”
“Preben Wexelsen,” said the familiar voice at the other end.
“Hi, Preben.” She felt her voice trembling, but she’d made up her mind. “How’s it going? Yeah, great. Here, too. Almost time
for Christmas celebrations. Are you busy right now? No? Are you alone? I hope you don’t think it’s weird that I’m calling
on Christmas Eve. But there’s something I have to tell you. Something you deserve to know.”
***
The bells were ringing over Dalen. From the tower in the old brown church, the deep sound echoed over snow-covered fields
and meadows, over farms and forests: come-come, come-come, come-come!
And people came—from the big farm up the hill, from the new housing development, and from neighboring villages. In their finest
garb, driving and walking, some even on kick-sleds, all making their way between the naked birch trees lining the avenue.
They went through the gate and across the churchyard, where candles flickered on the graves. People poured in through the
church doors, which were wide open—because it was Christmas Eve and time to ring in the holiday spirit.
They even came from Glitter Peak. All eyes were on old Borghild Berg and her granddaughter, Ingrid, as they walked up the church aisle together with the blond American woman—the one who’d been going around the village talking to everyone she could and digging into family history and old traditions. All three were clad in bunads with tinkling s?lje. They were joined by a mixed gang of hotel guests. An older gentleman—that was the American’s husband. A couple of younger men in suits who looked like city folk. A beautiful woman in a white dress, high-heeled booties, and with honey-blond curls that caught the attention of the youngest girls in the church: Isn’t that...? Yes, it’s her! And is she...? It looks like it. Yeah, definitely. Oh my god! But she hasn’t shared
it anywhere...?
Something else people talked about afterward was the fact that Borghild had turned on her way in and nodded to Hallgrim Dalen
and the Muskox clan, who had already taken their seats in the church. As far as residents of Dalen knew, those two hadn’t
so much as looked each other in the eye in decades, so it made quite a sensation.
And there was the Seter family, too. Thorbj?rn, Thoril, and their son Thor. They weren’t often seen in church, but tonight,
they sat together with the people from Glitter Peak.
In the sacristy, the new parish priest, Hanne Kristoffersen, was going through the day’s sermon in her head. It was her first
Christmas service in Dalen Church, and she was bound to be nervous. She and her spouse, Marie, had been living there for only
a couple of months.
She could hear there were a lot of people in the church. Now the bells chimed three times. Time to go in.
***
“And it came to pass in those days,” Reverend Kristoffersen read, “that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that
all the world should be taxed.” The congregation fell silent as the familiar words from the Christmas gospel rang out over
the church. “And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city
of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David),
to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were
accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes,
and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
The merry tones of “Joy to the World” faded out, and then it was officially Christmas Eve. The sky was dark when the group
from Glitter Peak left the church, and they could see the stars glittering over Heaven’s Horn when they got back. The light
of the full moon was reflected in the snow. Lanterns cast their flickering light over the entrance of the hotel.
It was nice and warm inside. Maja had prepared mulled wine, and they each took a mug and went to the dining room as soon as
they’d hung up their coats and changed their shoes.
The Christmas lights sparkled brightly on the tree behind them, and a large pile of presents lay beneath the heavy branches.
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio sounded from the small speakers on the corner tables.
Alfred, Aisha, Hussein, and Maja had set things up, and even the chef was going to take part in the Christmas meal as soon as she was finished in the kitchen. The delectable scent of pinnekj?tt wafted through the room, and the tables were set with white tablecloths, crystal, porcelain, pine branches, and red candles.
It’s so beautiful , Ingrid thought. I’m so lucky to be able to experience this with the people closest to me. A black shadow slipped past her. Mewsephina strutted through the dining room and into the library. Ingrid had pretended not
to see her over the past few days. Keeping unregulated cats at the hotel was a problem she had no intention of dealing with
right now. And she had to admit—if only to herself—that it was kind of nice having a cat around here.
She looked around. It was quite a gathering: Nana Borghild, Freya and John Wilkins, Ingrid’s friends, Thor’s family. John
Wilkins was wearing a suit and waistcoat and looked like a distinguished gentleman—which he was, Ingrid thought. Freya Wilkins
looked radiant in Charlotte’s bunad. It turned out that Borghild had had it hanging in the hotel ever since she and Charlotte
modeled for the painting in 1961. It was supposed to be worn on Charlotte’s wedding day in 1962, but that never happened.
Pia, Vegard, and David had settled down on a row of chairs by the windows. Vegard and David had helped themselves to mulled
wine, but Pia had declined even the alcohol-free version. She’d ridden with Vegard and David to and from the church, having
insisted on going even though they’d suggested she could stay at the hotel and rest. She’d been so happy and enthusiastic
when she told them about the phone call with her parents this morning. She seemed tired now, though, and looked quite pale
despite her expertly applied makeup.
Thor and his parents were in a small cluster by themselves. Thor looked terribly handsome in his dark trousers, white shirt, vest, and tie. It was strange to see him like this. She’d even caught a faint whiff of cologne when he hugged her at the church. His parents had been so nervous when they came through the hotel door, mumbling something about not wanting to intrude, but Ingrid had smiled and reminded them that they had been invited, after all. She’d said—and it really was true—that she was very happy they could come.
But it felt... strange as well. As if they were suddenly related somehow.
Ingrid tapped her glass to welcome everyone and call people to the table, but she got no further than a few introductory phrases
when Pia abruptly stood up from her chair and leaned against the backrest, making a kind of choking noise.
The entire group’s attention was focused on her.
“Excuse me for a moment,” Pia said in a strange voice. She walked quickly across the floor. “I just need to go upstairs. Don’t
wait for me, please get started.”
She waddled toward the door, leaving a wet trail on the floor behind her.
Vegard sprang up and was the first at her side. “But... but... this is the kind of thing you see in the movies! What’s
it called? Your water broke? Honey, you’re in labor !”
He turned to the others: “Someone call an ambulance!”
It didn’t take long before John Wilkins was beside them. “I’m a doctor,” he said simply. “I can help her. First, we need to
see how far along she is and how quickly things seem to be progressing. Call the hospital anyway. Ms. Berg and Mr. Vang, come
with me.”
Together, Ingrid and Vegard supported a confused Pia out of the dining room.
“We need a clean room with a big bathroom,” Dr. Wilkins said as he took off his suit jacket and vest and handed them to his
wife. He popped his silver cuff links in his pocket and folded up his shirtsleeves.
“Freya, can you get my medical bag?” he asked his wife.
“Will she need to be driven somewhere?” Thor asked.
“No, I don’t think she’ll make it down to the hospital,” the doctor replied. “Maybe afterward, if the midwife thinks she needs
to be admitted.”
“The ambulance is on its way, and your mother is talking to a midwife,” Ingrid said to Thor.
They agreed that Pia’s room could be converted into a delivery room, and Thoril Seter offered her assistance. She was the
mother of two children and therefore better qualified to help than most of the others who were present, apart from the doctor.
She quickly changed from her formal dress into a pair of sweatpants and a cotton sweatshirt Ingrid brought from her own closet.
The quiet older woman seemed to be in her element now that she was needed, and she was on the phone with the maternity ward
at the hospital in Lillehammer.
Ingrid and Aisha ran into the laundry room to find towels and other items needed for the birth.
“Are you okay?” Aisha asked. “I mean, it’s...”
Her eyes were filled with compassion and concern.
“Yes, I’m fine!” Ingrid replied. “There was a second there when I was bracing myself to be able to assist during the actual
birth, but I’m kind of glad I don’t have to.”
“I understand,” Aisha said. “We can make ourselves useful in other ways.”
When they got up to the second floor, the screams of pain coming from Pia’s room revealed that the birth was underway. It
was apparently happening a lot faster than anyone could have expected. Vegard and David were pacing back and forth in the
hallway like two anxious fathers, but when Dr. Wilkins opened the door to get the towels, he asked Ingrid if she “for God’s
sake” could take them downstairs and give them a drink instead.
“Gladly!” Ingrid said.
Now, everyone who hadn’t been appointed as assistants had gathered in the library. Sitting down for dinner was unthinkable
at this point, but they helped themselves to mulled wine and other drinks. Maja was naturally flustered over both someone
giving birth at the hotel and the deviation from the dinner plans ( Again! After all the fuss yesterday! ) but she kept the food warm. Freya Wilkins remained surprisingly calm. She was probably used to stepping aside when her husband
practiced medicine, Ingrid thought.
By the time the ambulance was pulling up outside, John Wilkins had already come down from the second floor. He’d washed up,
changed into a clean white shirt, and announced that Pia had given birth to a beautiful and healthy baby girl.
***
Never before had there been such a Christmas celebration at Glitter Peak. The pinnekj?tt arrived on the table four hours late, and the guests took turns visiting Pia until the doctor put his foot down and said she needed rest. The midwife had confirmed that everything was fine, that there was no need for Pia to be admitted to the hospital, and that she would come back the next day.
Now, both Pia and the baby were asleep. Pia had FaceTimed her parents and showed off their new grandchild. Ingrid had helped
her with the phone and let the tears flow freely as she looked at Pia with the little pink baby and heard her parents’ overwhelmed
outbursts in the background. They planned to get in the car the next morning and be at Glitter Peak as soon as possible.
“I can’t think of a better Christmas present for Pia and the little one than having parents and grandparents in their lives,”
she told Vegard. “Conspiracy theories or not.”
Thor’s mother was back in her party outfit and had gratefully accepted a shot of aquavit after the ordeal.
“I usually don’t drink much,” she told the Wilkinses. “But this isn’t exactly an everyday occurrence.”
“You’re right about that,” Dr. Wilkins replied, taking a hearty sip from his own glass of aquavit. “I guess you could say
this Christmas is a bit out of the ordinary.”
They moved into the library after dinner.
“The way to a man’s heart really is through his stomach,” Alfred said, patting his stomach happily.
Kransekake and coffee were served, and Hussein—who looked like a fine little gentleman in his suit and tie—took on the job
of cracking all the party poppers and reading the jokes aloud. Crowns and hats were placed on guests and staff, and Aisha
got the best crown, which was pink.
Then it was time to open presents, which was another job Hussein took quite seriously. He darted back and forth between the Christmas tree and the coffee table and read aloud from the gift tags.
Nana Borghild’s gift to Ingrid was a draft of the first chapter of Sky High: The Unknown Story of Glitter Peak Lodge , which Borghild intended to complete over the next two years with Thor’s help.
“There’s a gift for you from Thor,” Hussein said, handing Ingrid a flat, square package. Oh no! She hadn’t bought a gift for Thor or his parents; she hadn’t had time to think about that.
When she unwrapped the gift, she was overwhelmed. It was a framed picture of her on her way up the stairs to Glitter Peak
Lodge. The hotel towered against the blue sky with its spires and dragon heads, and she looked like she was a natural part
of it. Thor must have taken the photo one day after she’d walked him to his car. But when had he managed to get it developed
and framed? He just smiled slyly when she asked. “It’s proof that you belong here,” he said.
The shape of Hussein’s gift from his mother was unmistakable: a new pair of cross-country skis. He beamed with joy as he tore
off the paper.
“I’ll be the first one out when they prep the tracks next to the hotel,” he exclaimed.
“I’ll go with you,” Ingrid said.
Ingrid’s gift to Hussein was a smartwatch with GPS. It was probably the first and only time she’d accepted a Christmas gift
tip from Preben.
Then Hussein ran out and got a small package, which he held out to Ingrid while jumping up and down with excitement. To Ingrid from Hussein.
It was a rock. A compact, heavy gray rock. And on it was a tiny little elf figure with blond curls sticking out of its hat,
with mountaineering gear on its back.
“I thought this stone could be a mountain in the fairy-tale forest,” Hussein said. “So it had to have a real mountaineer,
too!”
“You look fantastic in a bunad,” Ingrid said to Freya. “Like you were born to wear it. And I suppose you were.”
Freya took her hand. “I came to Norway to find my roots,” she said. “But I never thought I would find a family and a home like this. Because that’s what I did. I’ve found home.”
Ingrid squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you feel that way,” she said. “It must have been quite overwhelming to learn about all
of this.”
“Yes, it has been. But the way I see it, it’s first and foremost a great gift. And before I go back to California, I’m going
to pay another visit to Uncle Hallgrim,” Freya said.
Uncle Hallgrim! That was going to take some getting used to, Ingrid thought, picturing the grumpy, scowling old bull.
“The next time I come to Norway, we’ll have dancing here! With him and Borghild as instructors,” Freya vowed.
Ingrid had to laugh. “Dancing? Do you really think you can talk them into it?”
“I can talk people into quite a lot, let me tell you!” Freya assured her.
“I believe it!” Ingrid replied.
“Did you know that the dance is the reason the bear is here?” Freya asked.
“But... what? What do you mean by that?” Ingrid replied.
“They had a bet!” Freya said. “Hallgrim thought no one would come to their dance course. If more than ten people signed up, Borghild would get the stuffed bear he shot the previous summer. Then thirty people showed up. He drove it up here on New Year’s Eve.”
Ingrid laughed out loud. “I wonder what Borghild bet.”
“Uncle Hallgrim wouldn’t get into that,” Freya said.
It almost looked as if Barry was smiling at them from his corner.
***
Ingrid and Thor had gone out to the stairs in front of the main entrance when fullness and fatigue started setting in. They
had to go back inside soon, but it was nice to stand there for a while and enjoy the peace and quiet with his arms around
her.
“I was thinking about something. Would you be up for helping Hussein a little?” Ingrid suggested. “You know what it’s like
to be a boy here in the village. Maybe you can talk to him and Aisha and see if there’s anything we can do to make things
easier for him?”
Thor nodded. “I’d love to,” he said. “Because he’s a good kid. But mostly because you’re the one asking.”
She nodded and allowed herself to take in the warmth behind his words. She rested her head on his shoulder and took a deep
breath. Then she looked up and Thor bent down and kissed her gently on the mouth.
The northern lights blazed green across the sky and cast their glow over the mountain peaks.
“And Christmas magic was in the air at Glitter Peak Lodge,” a small voice said behind them.
Ingrid and Thor turned around at the same time and laughed.
“Indeed,” Thor said, patting the little boy on the head. “Merry Christmas, Hussein!”
The six-year-old grinned at them and pulled something brown from his pocket. “Merry Christmas! Do you like gingerbread? Speedy
does. I left some for him by his hole in the kitchen. But don’t tell Miss Maja!”